Australian retailer's third transcritical CO2 store integrates HVAC

The Woolworths store opened on 6 December and is the retailer's first to have a fully integrated HVAC&R transcritical CO2 system.

Woolworths' first transcritical CO2 store in Colebee, NSW.

In another significant step taken towards achieving its 2020 sustainability goals, Australian retailer Woolworths commissioned it's first transcritical CO2 system that fully integrates the store's HVAC&R systems on 6 December.

The store, located in Prestons, NSW, employs the use of two HVAC integrated transcritical CO2 compressor racks "complete with factory fitted switchboards and controls by Bitzer Australia".

The system has 34 kW of low temperature and 205 kW of medium and high-temperature refrigeration capacity.

Notably, the transcritical CO2 system has been "completely locally designed, manufactured and installed for 45°C ambient," Ferlin adds, in an indication of the progress being made in boosting local availability of this technology in Australia.

“

With this store, we have virtually eliminated synthetic refrigerants from the supermarket."– Dario Ferlin, Woolworths

The system has a "design space cooling load of 320 kW, serviced by the production of 'Chilled Water' (CHW)," Ferlin said. Opposite that is the "design space heating load of 125kW, serviced by the production of 'Heating Hot Water' (HHW)."

The system controls were provided by Dixell (Emerson) and the system's gas coolers were provided by Güntner.